The Secretary for Higher Education, Dr. Levis Eneya has described the programme called “Second chance pathways for increased access to tertiary education for marginalized young women and men” facilitated by the Forum for African Women Educationalists in Malawi (FAWEMA) as life-changing to the students from rural areas.

He made the remarks at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Lilongwe during an audience with FAWEMA delegation, led by Teresa Omondi-Adeitan, the Deputy Executive Director for the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE).

He was delighted that the programme takes into account students, particularly girls from the marginalised communities that are supported through bursaries, including tuition fees, upkeep and ICT gadgets to ensure that they access tertiary education.

“I am calling it life-changing because without the support coming through the FAWE program, these young girls and boys will not attend tertiary education. In most cases, students from rural areas are the ones who are selected to Community Day Secondary Schools, where support is very minimal,” He said.

He thereafter applauded FAWEMA for their assistance in increasing access to tertiary education by providing a second opportunity to those students who were deprived of the chance, thereby enhancing inclusivity, which is key to the implementation of the MW2063 blueprint.

The project, which has a bridging programme as one of the components, is expected to support 1350 students from marginalised communities in the next seven years with 200 students already recruited in various TEVET prpgrammes. The number of students targeted to be recruited into Universities in Malawi has been expanded from 500 to 750 students.

The Deputy Executive Director for FAWE, Teresa Omondi-Adeitan said the increase in the number of target beneficiaries from 1100 to 1350 students has come as a result of the Ministry of Higher Education’s readiness in accommodating the programme’s request as compared to other countries.
She was excited that Malawi is among the first countries to start implementing the bridging course, under the approved guidelines by the Ministry through the National Council for Higher Education.
” The Ministry of Higher Education in Malawi has accommodated our request; we are going to be among the first ones. The country is more ready than the other 10 countries. This is what made us decide that for those countries which are more ready we can get more numbers because ultimately in Africa, we have targeted 10550 marginalised young women and men,” She said.

She added that the success of the programme is subject to support from the Ministry of Higher Education and she thanked the Ministry for welcoming FAWE as a complementing partner of the initiative that will change lives of marginalised young women in the country.

The Secretary for Higher Education was covered by the Acting Director of University and College Education, Dr. Valentino Zimpita and the Chief Education Officer, Ms. Jane Banda; whereas Ms. Teresa Omondi-Adeitan was accompanied by Wesley Chabwera, Executive Director for FAWEMA, Mphatso Kapalamula, Projects Manager for FAWEMA and Joseph Maere, the Project Manager for the programme ‘Second Chance Pathways for Increased Access to Tertiary Education for Marginalised Young Women and Men’.